The intense pain in his eyes, followed by total blindness, sent Chen Yuliang into a panic.
He tilted his head slightly, straining to listen and identify the wind, hoping to pinpoint Mr. Yu’s current position and the likely direction of his next attack.
However, Mr. Yu was renowned for his movement techniques. The gale he stirred up only served to drown out Chen Yuliang’s hearing; the howling wind filled his ears, masking all other movements.
"Where is that copy of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas*?" Amidst the darkness, Chen Yuliang, who had been struggling to parry with his *Profound Turtle Divine Art*, finally heard Mr. Yu’s chilling voice.
A surge of hope rose in his heart; he felt he could use this as a bargaining chip.
This thought caused his movements to slow significantly. He stepped backward, intentionally widening the distance to facilitate their upcoming negotiation.
It was precisely this moment that a sharp gust of wind whistled between his arms and struck his face.
Two warm fingers plunged into his eye sockets, sinking deep.
"Hah... hah..." Strange, guttural sounds escaped Chen Yuliang’s throat as he stumbled backward.
Mr. Yu’s emotionless voice sounded once more by his ear:
"I will find it myself."
*Thud.* Chen Yuliang collapsed heavily, his dark, blood-stained eye sockets "staring" blankly at the rafters.
Mr. Yu did not immediately search the corpse. He turned and walked toward the door.
Inside this martial arts hall, which had deep ties to Chen Yuliang, the disciples had already hidden far away. A squad of patrollers dressed in black, with starlight and candle flames embroidered on their cuffs, arrived quickly, all of them brandishing long swords.
The leader was a young woman of about twenty. Unlike her companions, she did not wear the standard uniform; instead, she wore a light green, scalloped dress, with only the starlight and candle flame patterns on her cuffs indicating her status.
Her face was clear and beautiful, her eyes bright and spirited. Her long black hair was simply pinned up and tied with a green embroidered silk ribbon. She was tall and graceful, her movements as fluid as a willow swaying in the breeze—a truly breathtaking sight.
Seeing this young woman, Mr. Yu’s expression grew more solemn. He said in a deep voice:
"The conflict between the Four Waters Gang and the Small Boat Gang was reported to the magistrate's office last month."
The young woman, holding a sword with a golden-red scabbard, glanced at Chen Yuliang’s corpse lying in the room and spoke with an air of feigned maturity:
"Did this involve any innocent bystanders?
"Did anyone violate the martial arts prohibition in public?"
Mr. Yu shook his head slightly:
"They did not."
He paused, then added:
"That side as well—the people from the Zhen Mansion and the Small Boat Gang."
The tall, graceful young woman looked slightly disappointed:
"If there are any follow-up investigations, we must be present to oversee the entire process."
"Understood, Heroine Zheng." Mr. Yu cupped his hands in a salute and turned back toward Chen Yuliang’s corpse.
Whether due to the nature of his cultivation technique or some other hidden issue, the body had begun to show signs of decay after only a few moments, attracting several mosquitoes and moths that circled above it.
As Mr. Yu approached, they were all startled away.
Seeing this, Mr. Yu’s brow furrowed slightly.
…………
In a blind spot between a narrow alley wall and a lush, towering tree.
After hearing his younger brother’s answer that it "shouldn't be a problem," Ding Daniu smiled honestly:
"Second Brother, you are the one in this family who treats me the best."
"Doesn't Little Sister treat you well?" Ding Songyan changed the subject, not wanting to discuss the killing any further.
Ding Daniu seemed unable to describe it for a moment, falling into deep thought. After a long while, he said:
"She is a little afraid of me."
*I am a little afraid too...* Ding Songyan muttered to himself helplessly.
Fear is the only natural reaction.
Glancing at the corpse with the bulbous nose behind the tree, and realizing that the government truly must not learn of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas*, Ding Songyan took a breath:
"Big Brother, how do you intend to dispose of this body?"
*I have been standing here for too long. Even if the people on the Watchtower don't suspect any illicit activity, they might mistake me for having a weak bladder...*
"How to dispose of it..." Ding Daniu looked at the corpse with the sunken face and fell silent.
Ding Songyan also fell silent.
*So you haven't thought about how to dispose of it at all...*
*I thought you were an experienced veteran...*
*Then again, on a long journey, in the middle of nowhere, with no one around, you just wait for nightfall and toss the corpse of a petty villain into the forest, off a cliff, or into the river, and that's that...*
*I have to think of a way; people could pass by here at any moment...*
As his thoughts raced, Ding Songyan heard a gust of wind carrying Mr. Yu’s voice:
"You may leave on your own. The Four Waters Gang will handle the body."
Ding Songyan breathed a sigh of relief.
It sounded as if things had been resolved successfully on Flag Master Chen’s end as well.
As for the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas*, he didn't care at all whether Mr. Yu had found it or taken it. It was better that the man didn't mention it; if he had, it would only have been more dangerous.
…………
Zhen Mansion, Cold Water Pavilion.
Surrounded by water-driven fan wheels and large basins of ice, Mr. Yu bowed and handed the book in his hand to the old man sitting in the grand armchair at the head of the room:
"Old Master, this is indeed the copy of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* that was lost from the mansion. All the secret marks match."
The old man wore a black robe embroidered with multiple "Fu" (fortune) characters and a small skullcap. His left palm was broad; even while holding two heavy iron balls, he could rotate them with ease and comfort.
His beard was already white, his eyes showed signs of bulging, and divine light spilled from between his eyelids. His complexion was unnaturally ruddy, and his ears appeared to have multiple folds, as if each had split into two.
Zhen Qianfan, the old patriarch of the Zhen family, took the indigo-covered book with his right hand and flicked it open, glancing at it twice:
"I trust your work.
"Did anyone from the Xiaoming Sect or the magistrate's office learn of this book's existence?"
Mr. Yu maintained his gloomy, deathly demeanor:
"The book was hidden inside Chen Yuliang’s robes. Although Zheng Zhuxi was present, she is young and has not yet officially stepped into the martial arts world, so she was squeamish about the corpse and didn't look closely. I took the opportunity to use the 'Seven Methods of Capturing the Wind' to retrieve and hide it, then left in a hurry under the pretext of needing to handle the matter regarding the second Ding brother."
Zhen Qianfan looked at the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* in his hand and chuckled:
"Lost nine months ago, and to think it could be found today. What a coincidence..."
He leaned back against the chair and closed his eyes:
"Does the second Ding brother really not remember where he obtained this *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas*?"
"He has truly forgotten. I have observed his behavior over the past two days and found that he doesn't even remember daily occurrences. Master Physician Shao has also confirmed this, though he cannot determine the cause." Mr. Yu replied truthfully.
Zhen Qianfan remained silent for a long time, as if asleep, before suddenly turning his head to look at his son, who was standing by his side:
"When did Qin Nansheng enter the mansion?"
Zhen Quanwang, the legitimate son of the Zhen family, bowed and replied:
"Nansheng entered the mansion over two years ago. Father, we checked at the time; the loss of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* had nothing to do with her."
Facing the father he had always feared, he summoned the courage to speak up for Qin Nansheng.
Zhen Qianfan let out a laugh and said with absolute certainty:
"Of course it had nothing to do with her.
"Entering the mansion over two years ago—that is fine."
He opened his eyes completely, the divine light exposed, and asked Mr. Yu:
"How long has the Ding family of five been in Dingjiang Prefecture, and what kind of people are they?"
"Only seven months or so." Mr. Yu recalled and said, "They should have nothing to do with the loss of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas*."
His deepest impression of the Ding family was that the youngest daughter, though not yet fully grown, was already a peerless beauty. He had intended to mention this, but then he reconsidered. Old Master Zhen and the other men of the Zhen Mansion were not exactly saints when it came to women. Usually, Qin Nansheng wouldn't even let Ding Qingyan come to the mansion; if she missed her sister, she would go to Chengyu Lane to visit her. It was better not to let Old Master Zhen and the others know too much, especially since the Ding girl was only fourteen or fifteen—it would be a moral transgression.
With the Zhen Mansion’s reputation, no one in Chengyu Lane dared to bully Ding Qingyan.
Carefully choosing his words, Mr. Yu started with Ding Shengyi, describing the middle-aged scholar in detail, along with Liu Yuzao, Ding Daniu, and Ding Songyan. Finally, he added:
"There is also a young daughter, not yet of age, with excellent looks."
*Merely excellent.*
Zhen Qianfan listened with great focus, the two iron balls in his palm spinning incessantly.
After a long while, he nodded slightly:
"It doesn't seem like..."
Without offering any explanation, the old master instructed Mr. Yu:
"The Small Boat Gang has risen rapidly in recent years; it is not entirely normal. Perhaps someone is supporting them from behind. If it were a major sect, it would be fine—this Ning Province belongs to the Chongwu Sect and the Yi clan, and we have connections to both. Outsiders, once exposed, would naturally retreat. What I fear is that the Small Boat Gang has colluded with one of the Twenty-One Paths of the Demonic Sect. Those heterodox evildoers do not follow the rules of the martial arts world; they will use any means necessary.
"When you and the people from the Xiaoming Sect and the magistrate's office search Chen Yuliang’s altar, pay close attention to whether there are any signs of such things. You must not be careless. Heh, it is easy to succeed by colluding with demonic forces, but it is just as easy to be uprooted by the imperial court."
"Yes, Old Master." Mr. Yu bowed and replied.
…………
After spending eight coins on a bowl of noodles with bits of pork and some side vegetables, Ding Songyan, feeling much lighter now that his immediate crisis had passed, returned to Chengyu Lane and pushed the courtyard gate.
It didn't budge.
*Bang, bang, bang!* Ding Songyan knocked on the wooden door.
"Who is it?" Ding Qingyan’s voice came from inside.
"Your second brother." Ding Songyan replied with a smile.
Ding Qingyan then lifted the bolt, asking with a mix of joy and confusion:
"Back so early?"
Her hands were wet, and there was a wooden basin by the water vat; she was clearly in the middle of washing clothes.
"The matter is mostly resolved." Ding Songyan closed the wooden gate and gave his sister a rough summary of what had happened.
He didn't specifically mention the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas*, only saying it was something of great value, nor did he mention that Ding Daniu had killed another person.
Ding Qingyan didn't pay attention to those details. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she said to Ding Songyan, both surprised and happy:
"Second Brother, we don't have to live in fear anymore!"
As she spoke, she paced around, excitedly talking to herself:
"We must celebrate! We must celebrate! When Father returns from the office, I'll have him buy a crispy duck from the Peony Pavilion, and then buy..."
In her self-talk, Ding Qingyan swallowed her saliva.
Ding Songyan watched with a smile, and only after his sister had calmed down did he ask:
"Do we have paper and a brush at home?"
He intended to write down the general content of *The Legend of the White Snake* for tomorrow’s performance. He couldn't afford to miss as many details as he had today—for instance, Xiaoqing hadn't gotten much of a role.
One had to know that if that headless military officer returned to the barracks, he would certainly never be able to reach him again. The girl in the white dress was his most valuable personal connection at the moment, and since they had made a good start, he had to maintain it!
"Don't you have some in your trunk?" Ding Qingyan pointed toward the west wing.
*Oh, right, my original profession is a storyteller...* Ding Songyan nodded, returned to his room, and opened the small wooden trunk by the bed.
This small trunk contained paper, brushes, an inkstone, ink, and several books.
Ding Songyan flipped through them casually, discovering they were scripts needed for storytelling. Some were bought from the storytelling guild, while others were likely copied by his predecessor; the handwriting was clearly different, and the latter were even more crudely bound.
"Focusing on history... If I had known, I wouldn't have gone to listen to the old tales. Flipping through these is enough; what a waste of copper coins..." He muttered as he checked his collection.
A cup of tea later, Ding Songyan picked up a coverless, hand-copied book from the bottom of the trunk. His eyes swept over it, and he suddenly saw a line:
"Feiyi, consuming it wards off insects, protects the spirit, and prevents all diseases."
This... Ding Songyan’s expression froze.
*The Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas?*
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